Not a Halloween drill: New York City to turn lights ‘Amazon orange’ in show of support for HQ2 bid

The Empire State Building has had an orange glow in the past, including in 2012 for a UN campaign to end violence against women. (Flickr Photo / @UNWomen)

Bright lights, big city — and big dreams about landing Amazon’s second headquarters.

New York City is sending a signal across the country to Seattle on Wednesday night by turning the lights on landmarks and venues to “Amazon orange” in a show of support for the Big Apple’s official bid to become home to HQ2.

The stunt comes a day before Amazon’s deadline for cities to submit their request for proposals to the e-commerce giant in hopes of someday landing 50,000 tech jobs.

Mayor Bill de Blasio said the case for Amazon choosing New York is simple: “We are the global capital of commerce, culture and innovation. No city has stronger talent, greater diversity or a more dynamic economy. We welcome today’s show of support from institutions, businesses and civic leaders united behind the city’s bid.”

Buildings such as the Empire State Building and One World Trade will glow orange starting at 9 p.m. EDT, according to a news release tweeted by Gloria Pazmino, a City Hall reporter for Politico New York. Pazmino said, “This is NOT a Halloween drill” and also noted, “it’s Amazon orange, not any other average orange out there.”

New York buildings, especially the Empire State, are often lit in assorted colors for any number of holidays or special occasions. During the 2012 presidential election, the spire was lit in red and blue to capture in real time the electoral vote race between Barack Obama and Mitt Romney.

Writer and editor Kurt Schlosser covers the Geek Life beat for GeekWire. A longtime journalist, photographer and designer, he has worked previously for NBC News, msnbc.com and the Seattle P-I. Follow Kurt on Twitter or reach him at kurt@geekwire.com.